The Wakeup Call
by BalthierFan6828
Summary: Me and my friends get sucked into one of my fanfics, and have to help out the gang. No pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, so this is my very first self-insert story. I don't usually like the whole "me and my friends got sucked into Ivalice" thing, but I thought it would be fun if me and some of my pals on here got sucked into…one of my fics. The descriptions of people and their daily lives outside of this site are meant to be accurate (real names, physical descriptions, etc), so when I'm talking about my daily life I am using real stuff, so it'll be starting out with me coming home from work. I am also writing this in the third person, because that's just how I roll. I hope you enjoy, and please review. Also, if you'd like to be included in this fic just private message me your info and I'll put you in **

**The Wakeup Call**

**Chapter 1**

Grey punched the call button on his cell phone for the fifth time, "Never any fucking service in this damn town," he cursed, tossing the cell into the passenger seat of his car.

He turned onto England Drive slowly, making sure to keep an eye out for the neighbor kids who always had a habit of riding their bikes in the street. He hadn't had the best day, and nothing was going right. It didn't help that his mother's car was parked in his driveway when he pulled up. He'd worked a fourteen hour shift, and he was in no mood for her constant badgering today. Stepping out of his car into the chilly February air, he fought off the urge to light a cigarette; it would only give his mother something else to bitch at him about.

The front door was unlocked, and he tossed his keys on the table, dreading the scene he _knew_ would be waiting for him in the living room. It was always the same when his mother visited, and today was no different. She sat rigidly on the couch, obviously uncomfortable with her surroundings. His boyfriend, Joe, sat across from her, trying as best he could to break the awkward silence.

"Hi mom," he muttered, tossing his leather jacket on the end of the sofa and trying his best to sound happy to see her.

"Jonathan!" she squealed, rising to her feet.

"Mom, don't call me Jonathan. Dad is Jonathan, that's why I've gone by my middle name my entire life," Grey sighed.

His mother frowned, "It was your father's idea to name you Grey. It isn't a name it's a color."

He wanted to scream. This was the millionth time that they had had this conversation, "Well whether it's a name or not it's on my birth certificate and I've been going by it for nearly 23 years now."

She shrugged, "Why are you getting home so late?"

"I work," he sighed, "What are _you_ doing here so late?"

"I brought you some groceries," she said, "I've already put them away."

"Mom, I don't need you to buy me groceries," Grey sighed, "We have money."

She glanced over at Joe disapprovingly, "Still, I _am_ your mother Jonathan. I'm allowed to bring you food if I want."

He blocked out the rest of the conversation. If he and his mother got to arguing, she wouldn't stop yapping until she'd covered all the bases…the way he dressed, lived, ate, smoked too much…and finally…how she would never get any more grandchildren. It just wasn't worth it, not after the day he'd had.

When he finally ushered her out the door nearly half an hour later he felt like a huge weight had been taken off his shoulders.

"So," said Joe, who had barely spoken since he'd come home, "How was your day?"

Grey flung himself down on the couch, "Shitty. Yours?"

Joe shrugged, "Wasn't bad until your mom showed up."

Grey lit a cigarette and frowned, "I'm sorry. She didn't say anything too out of line did she?"

"Just the usual," he said, "You know the drill."

Grey nodded. His mother tended to see his being gay as a sickness, as if a good dose of Nyquil would turn him straight, "I'm sorry you had to deal with her alone. I got stuck at work."

Joe shrugged, "It's been eight years, Grey. I'm used to her shit."

Grey didn't say anything as he ran a hand through his spikey brown hair and grabbed his laptop. He needed to be doing homework, as he was four years into a psychology degree that still was far from finished, but he just didn't have the energy for that right now.

Joe stood up and planted a kiss on the top of his head, "I have to go to the store. We need beer."

Grey nodded, "Mmkay. I'm gonna work on updating some fanfics while you're gone. Love you."

Joe nodded, "Love you too," and Grey heard the door slam shut a few seconds later.

This latest fic was not going the way he'd planned, and every time he went to update his mind went blank. It had only been a couple of weeks ago that he'd been updating every time a single review came in, but that didn't seem so easy now. Signing in with his screen name, BalthierFan6828, he clicked on his latest review, one from his good buddy Masaki-Hanabusa.

Putting his cigarette out, he pulled up a blank Microsoft word document. Trying to remember where he'd left off, he pulled up his latest fic and skimmed the last chapter he'd written. He'd left Balthier bleeding and dying, Vaan crying, and the others completely helpless. Great… where the hell was there to go from here. He stared at the screen for a long time, his tattooed arms limp by his sides, his mind a complete blank.

Finally, he started to type…

_The heat of the desert seemed more stifling to Balthier now than it ever had before. He would have complained, or said something smart, but the excruciating pain in his side, as well as the fact that he'd had a silence spell cast on him, prohibited him from doing so. _

"_Hang on Balthier," cried Vaan, "I know I wrote down that spell Fran told me about. I'll find it."_

_Balthier closed his eyes. Vaan was terrible at remembering spells, even simple ones, and kept several of them written down on a scrap of paper in his pack. Had the two of them not been alone, he would have demanded that someone else heal him, but now he could not afford to be picky. He begged Vaan with his mind to hurry up, but still the boy rummaged through his pack endlessly, until finally he pulled out a worn scrap of paper._

"_Found it!" he piped gleefully._

_Balthier shot him an angry glance, begging him to hurry._

_Vaan understood, and began to study the list in search of the spell he needed._

"_I forgot to label some of these," he muttered, glancing worriedly over at the bleeding pirate, "But…uh…I think this is the one I need."_

_Balthier wasn't so sure that Vaan knew what he was talking about, but he couldn't say anything…and Vaan was already chanting the strange spell._

* * *

><p>Grey cursed under his breath, this chapter was shit so far, but he didn't want to give up on it just yet. He rubbed his eyes, maybe it was just that he'd had such a long day…but he didn't feel right. Something was…off. He put down his laptop and sat up, suddenly overly warm.<p>

"Damn," he muttered, pulling off his T-shirt, "It feels like a desert in here."

He closed his eyes and sighed, he'd just been under a lot of stress. His hands started to shake, and suddenly he felt as if he were going to pass out. Grabbing at the couch arm, he toppled over beside his laptop, letting the blackness claim him.

When he opened his eyes, he was laying in sand.

* * *

><p>Balthier closed his eyes and waited for the magic to take the pain away, but as Vaan finished the spell, nothing happened.<p>

* * *

><p>Luci signed into her fanfiction account as Masaki-Hanabusa, ready to update a few fics, and read a few chapters before dinner. She had just turned eighteen, and she was in one of those moods where nothing could bring her down. Tossing her shoulder length brown hair out of her eyes, she clicked on one of her friend's new stories. She'd been reading BalthierFan6828's fics for a few months now, and she always made sure to review.<p>

This new fic had Balthier injured in the desert, with only Vaan to heal him…and Vaan wasn't very good at remembering spells. She was reading in earnest, wondering what would happen next, when she began to feel dizzy.

Balthier's eyes snapped open when he heard the thud of something hitting the ground beside him. Wide eyed, he grabbed at Vaan's arm, motioning for the boy to look over at what he was seeing.

A boy and girl lay, not too far from each other, in the sand. Both were dressed strangely, and neither of them had been there the moment before.

_To Be Continued…_

**Hope you enjoyed! Please review, because I've never written one of these before and I don't know if this one is good or not. If you want to be involved in it, message me your info and I'll put you in!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So many fics that need updating…so little time. I hope you are enjoying, please review, and if you'd like to be included in this one message me your info and I'll put you in. Love you all my freaky little darlings.**

**The Wakeup Call**

**Chapter 2**

Balthier nudged the unconscious pair of strangers one after the other with the pointy tip of his shoe. Vaan had finally managed to heal him and get his voice back, and now the two focused their attention on the two strangers that had appeared out of nowhere. Balthier reached down and gently flipped the shirtless boy over, while Vaan did the same for the girl.

"Who are they?" asked Vaan, looking over at Balthier excitedly.

Balthier shrugged, "No idea," he said, "But a better question is where did they come from?"

Grey opened his eyes, and coughed, sending a mouthful of sand flying.

Balthier took a step back in surprise, "Who are you?"

Grey sat up and rubbed his eyes, "Where am I?"

"I asked you a question first," argued the pirate, crossing his arms over his chest.

Grey eyed him skeptically, "Holy shit! I must be losing my mind. You're a video game character."

Balthier coughed in surprise, "What the hell are you talking about? Do you know me? What's a video game?"

Grey put a hand to his temple. He didn't know where to begin.

"Who's she?" asked Vaan, pointing to the girl, who still hadn't moved.

"How the hell should I know?" said Grey. He shook his head, "Never mind, you guys aren't real…why am I talking to you!"

"I assure you," said Balthier, "We are real."

"Balthier, it's been a long day," said Grey, "and I'm sure this is all stress related."

The pirate's mouth fell open, "How do you know my name?"

Grey was about to try and explain when the girl beside him made a soft noise.

"She's waking up," said Vaan, "What's your name?" he asked her as soon as her eyes fluttered open, "How did you get here?"

She stared at him blankly for a moment, "Oh my God! Am I dreaming?"

Grey sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I don't think so. If you are we're having the same dream. Please tell me you recognize these two as fictional characters."

Luci nodded, "Who are you?"

"The name's Grey," he said, standing up and brushing himself off before extending her a hand.

She took his hand and let him pull her up, "That's a different name. You know, actually I know a guy named Grey."

Grey cocked his head to one side, "Really?"

She smiled, "Yeah. He writes a lot of stories on this website I write on. Stories about them actually," she said, pointing to the stunned pirate and thief, who stood nearby watching the exchange curiously.

Grey eyed her suspiciously, "Your friend doesn't go by the screen name BalthierFan6828 does he?"

Luci opened her mouth in shock, "How did you know?"

Grey chuckled, "We're the one and the same. So you've read my fics?"

"Oh my God!" she said, laughing, "It's me! Masaki-Hanabusa! Well, you can call me Luci, that's my real name."

Grey smiled, "Small world! How did you get here?"

She was about to explain when Balthier coughed loudly, "If you don't mind," he said, obviously aggravated, "We _would_ like to be in the loop here."

Grey turned to face him, "I'm dreaming," he said, "That's really all there is to it. I had a long day, and I must have fallen asleep working on the fic I was writing. That's why you guys are in my dream," he glanced over at Balthier, "Not that this is the necessarily the first time you've invaded my sleep."

Balthier smiled devilishly, "I have that effect on people."

Grey rolled his eyes and turned toward Luci, "Would you mind pinching me? That way I can wake up."

Luci frowned, "Are you sure this is your dream and not mine? I was reading your latest fic and I must have fallen asleep, I bet that's why you're in my dream."

Grey sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Wait a second…what was the last thing you remember reading?"

"Balthier was hurt, and Vaan couldn't find the spell," she said, "He said something about forgetting to label some of them."

"Which is exactly when you two showed up," said Balthier, crossing his arms.

Grey cursed, "Are you saying that actually happened right before we showed up?"

Vaan nodded, "How did you know? You weren't here then, we'd have seen you."

"I was reading the fic," said Luci, "And then I was here. That's all I know."

Grey nodded, "Same here."

"You don't think…" Luci started, when Grey interrupted her with a wave of his hand.

"Don't even say it," he grumbled, "I don't even _read_ fics where people get sucked into this world, much less believe it could actually happen."

"Ok," said Balthier, "It's my turn to get some answers. Who are you two? Where the hell are you from? And how do you know who we are?"

Grey looked to Luci, "I think you'd better explain. I can't deal with this right now."

Luci looked from Grey to Balthier, "Uh, well…I'm Luci and this is Grey. We are either dreaming or we've gotten sucked into another world, and we know you because…well…you…uh…aren't real. You're characters in a game, and we love you guys so we write stories about you."

Grey didn't know what kind of reaction to expect from the pirate, but he was surprised when he burst out laughing, "This is either a very elaborate joke, or you two are out of your minds!"

"We should take them back to the others," said Vaan, "Maybe they will know what's going on."

"Where are the others?" asked Luci excitedly, she couldn't wait to get to actually meet them.

"They're still aboard the Strahl," said Grey, folding his arms and looking directly at Balthier, "These two went on the hunt alone. They thought they could handle it."

Balthier stopped laughing, "How do know about the Strahl? And that the others are still there?"

Grey sighed, "Because I wrote this damn story. I know everything about it."

Balthier eyed him suspiciously, "I don't believe you."

"I know you don't," said Grey, "But if you don't mind I'd rather have this discussion back on the ship. It's fucking hot out here."

Balthier continued looking from Grey to Luci, as he casually began walking a circle around the two, as if he were inspecting them, "Why are you dressed like that?"

"Like what?" asked Luci.

"He's half naked, and you're both wearing strange material," he said eyeing the denim of their jeans, "What are these markings you have?" he asked suddenly, glancing over Grey's tattooed arms.

"They're tattoos, don't you have tattoos here? Hey Luci do they have tattoos here? I can't remember a character with tattoos," Grey said.

Luci shrugged, "Apparently not."

Balthier was still looking over the tattoos, "Stop calling us characters."

Grey sighed, "Look, this is just as weird for us; actually no…it's weirder for us than it is for you."

Balthier ignored him, "I do like your hair though. Very nice looking."

Grey sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in an effort to stave off the headache he knew was coming, "That's because I purposely do my hair like yours Balthier."

He knew Balthier was conceited…but damn.

Luci giggled in the back ground, and both men looked at her questioningly, "I can't believe you two are comparing hairstyles out in the middle of the desert," she laughed, "I mean we've just gone through some freaky shit and you two are talking about your hair."

Balthier frowned, "Fine, I suppose you'd best come back to the Strahl with us. You don't look like you'd last five minutes out here alone."

Balthier and Vaan led the way, with Grey and Luci trailing behind. The pirate and thief both could barely contain their curiosity, and were constantly turning around to stare at the two strangers.

"Do we really look that different?" Luci asked Grey, "I mean they keep looking at us like we're another life form."

Grey shrugged, grabbing his cigarettes from his pocket and lighting one, "I guess so, I mean we aren't exactly dressed like them."

"I didn't know you smoked," said Luci.

Grey shrugged, "I need to quit, but it's on my to do list."

"Do you think we're dreaming?" she asked, "I mean really?"

"I don't know. It feels pretty real," he muttered glancing up at the sun that bore down on them.

"Hey Grey," Luci asked.

"Yeah?"

"Nothing bad happens in this fic does it? I mean…your fics don't always end so happy."

Grey flicked the butt of his cigarette into the sand, "I don't know. It wasn't finished. I'm not sure how this works."

"What happens if you can't finish it?" she asks, "I mean, can we ever get back? I usually don't read these kinds of fics either…I don't know if they ever get out in the end."

Grey patted her hand reassuringly, "I'm sure we'll work it out in the end," he said, but his tone didn't sound convinced, and he hoped that the ending he'd planned for this fic wasn't going to come true.

_To Be Continued…_

**Hope you enjoyed and please review! If you want to be included, message me your info! I've never written one of these so I hope it's good!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome back! We now have three people involved in this fic (woot woot!), if you'd like to be included, message me your info (Real name, age, sex, and physical description, etc.) Please review and let me know what you think. This fic will be kinda kooky at times, as I know no other way to make these two worlds co-exist.**

**So far our outside characters are: Gray Anderton (A.k.a. Me), Male-22**

** Luci (Screen name Masaki-Hanabusa), Female-18**

** Nicky (Screen name NinjaNicky), Female-21**

**I do hope you enjoy. And I hope you aren't expecting this self-insert to be like others you've read, cuz I've never read any and I don't know how people usually go about them.**

**The Wakeup Call**

**Chapter 3**

"How much further?" asked Luci, wiping her brow.

"It's just over the next ridge," said Grey, earning an aggravated glance from Balthier.

"Will you please stop doing that," the pirate grumbled.

"Stop doing what?"

"Saying what I'm about to say before I get a chance to say it."

"Sorry," said Grey, "I can't help it."

The Strahl was indeed just over the next ridge, and as it came into view both Grey and Luci's mouths fell open. They had both pictured the ship in their minds a million times, but neither of them was prepared for how enormous and beautiful it really was.

They had barely approached the ship when they were greeting by a flustered Penelo.

"Balthier…Vaan," she panted, "You won't believe this! Hang on…who are they?"

Balthier sighed, "That's kind of a long story. Although I do hate to dwarf whatever it is you seem to think we won't believe, but you really _won't_ believe this."

"I don't know," said Penelo, "You're gonna have a hard time with this one."

She led them aboard the ship, both Grey and Luci barely able to contain their excitement. The ship was laid out exactly as Grey had always envisioned, but as he'd written this story, he wasn't surprised. He and Luci entered the main room of the Strahl behind the others, trying not to look like kids in a candy store. It was overwhelming to see them all there, actually standing in front of them. Both he and Luci had followed these six companions through so many different adventures, and Grey actually felt bad about some of the horrible situations he'd written them into.

Basch was the first to acknowledge their presence, "Who are they?"

"They claim to be from another world," Balthier smirked, "They also claim that we are not real and that he," he said pointing a ringed finger at Grey, "Actually wrote this 'story' that apparently we are all characters in."

Basch didn't at all seemed shocked, "What is the name of your world?"

"You believe them?" asked Balthier, obviously shocked.

"We found one of them ourselves earlier," said Basch circling Grey and Luci much like Balthier had done earlier.

A girl suddenly appeared from behind Fran. She was tall and thin, with short blonde hair that was rather spikey, "Hi! I'm Nicky. I think I got sucked into a fanfic!"

Grey sighed and shook his head, "It didn't happen to be written by BalthierFan6828 did it?"

"Yeah! Did you get here that way too?"

Grey nodded, "Yeah…I wrote the damn thing. Jesus, how many people you think I've sucked into this place?"

Luci put a reassuring hand on Grey's bare shoulder, "It isn't your fault, plus I'm really excited to be here! And well…to be honest…I referred Nicky to your story…so it's my fault really."

Nicky smiled, "Are you kidding? This is awesome! I wish this had happened sooner!"

Grey sat down on the couch, his head in his hands, "This is just all a little overwhelming. I mean this is a different world guys…it's dangerous. I mean we have no fighting skills, no magic skills…we aren't equipped to be here."

The others had stayed quiet throughout this exchange, they were curious about their newfound friends.

"You all appear to know each other," said Fran, "Is this a fact?"

Nicky shrugged, "Sort of. I mean we all read and write stories about you guys on this website, but we've never actually met in person."

"What's a website?" asked Vaan.

"It's…well…it's on the internet…oh shit, I guess you don't know what that is either," said Luci.

The six of them looked at her blankly.

"It's too hard to explain," said Grey, standing up and beginning to pace, "The point is that in our world everyone thinks you guys are fictional…well…you still may be fictional…I haven't decided yet…but the point is I wrote this story."

They stared at him as if he were sprouting wings.

"I know you don't believe me," said Grey, "But just ask me something. Something I couldn't know unless I wrote this all."

Basch thought a minute, "If you know us all so well. Tell us about ourselves, prove you know what you say you know."

Grey, Luci, and Nicky spent the next half hour giving them the rundown of every character bio in the game.

Balthier shook his head, "You could have heard about us from anyone. Everyone knows who we are by now."

Grey sighed, "Balthier I can convince you. But I think I'd best do it in private."

Balthier smiled, "Well well, that's mighty forward of you."

Grey cursed and shook his head, "I didn't mean _that_ Balthier. For fuck's sake, why did I write you so perverted!"

He pulled the pirate aside, "Your real name is Ffamran and Dr. Cid is your father. You're horribly scarred from everything he did to you, oh…and you're in love with Vaan…but haven't admitted it to yourself yet."

Balthier's mouth fell open, "How do you…"

"I told you. I wrote this," said Grey, "I'm sorry you got the shit end of the deal with a lot of stuff but that's just kinda how we see your life where I come from."

Balthier nodded, and Grey couldn't tell if he believed him or not.

"Ok," the pirate said loudly, turning back to face the others, "I'm willing to admit that something out of the ordinary might be going on here, but you still have a lot of proving to do. In the meantime, I suppose you'd all best stick with us."

"Where do you plan on them sleeping?" said Ashe, who had not spoken until now, "We only have six rooms."

Balthier shrugged, "Surely three of you would be willing to share for a little while."

"Why not you?" asked Ashe, her arms folded across her chest.

"Because I'm the leading man, and because it's my ship," smirked Balthier.

"Someone can bunk with me," offered Penelo.

"The boy can stay in my room," said Basch, "Penelo, you take one of the girls."

"The other can stay in my room," offered Fran to everyone's surprise.

They divided up, and Luci followed Fran to her room while Nicky happily and energetically skipped along behind Penelo.

Grey followed Basch into the captain's room, suddenly feeling out of place next to the muscular knight. He wasn't near as built as Basch, although his lean frame did have some muscle on it, and standing there shirtless wasn't helping the matter.

As if his thoughts were being read, there was a knock on the door. Basch opened it, revealing Fran standing there with one of Balthier's white shirts in her hand, "Balthier thought the Hume could do with a bit of clothing."

"Thanks," Grey muttered, wondering if he had in fact put the idea in Balthier's head. He slipped on the shirt as Fran left, rolling up the sleeves and buttoning it halfway. The shirt was a little too frilly for his taste, but at least he was covered now.

"You seem nervous," said Basch, eyeing him warily.

Grey attempted a half-hearted smile, "This is all really…overwhelming. Plus I'm afraid that…never mind."

"What?"

"I'm afraid I've gotten a lot of people stuck here, and that we'll never get out," said Grey, "And…well…sometimes my stories don't have happy endings…this one…well…if it goes like I thought it was going to…we've got a hard road ahead of us."

_To Be Continued…_

**Hope you enjoyed, please review! IF you want to be included, let me know!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hope you are enjoying this... please review! If you want in this story, let me know! I do love you all my freaky little darlings! Thanks to Luci and Nicky for being such good sports and being part of this little fic, which is loads of fun to write so far. I think I did forget to mention that I don't own FFXII or its characters in any way. This fic is rated M, for no particular reason. I have no pairings planned as of yet, but there's bound to be loads of harmless flirtation. Please enjoy.**

**The Wakeup Call**

**Chapter 4**

Grey wandered into the cockpit of the Strahl, unable to sleep. He knew his way around the ship like the back of his hand, after all, he'd designed it. He sat down in the pilot's chair with a sigh. He'd often written Balthier sitting in this chair when the pirate couldn't sleep, or was upset about something, the moonlight streaming in, bathing the pirate's soft skin in a pale, shimmering light.

"Can't sleep?"

Grey was snapped from his thoughts by Basch's voice, "I guess it's all the excitement keeping me up."

Basch nodded and sat down in the co-pilot's chair, "Tell me about your world."

Grey shrugged, "It's…well…it's really different from here. There's no magic there…or at least I didn't think there was…I guess I might have been wrong about that though."

"You don't like it here, do you?" asked Basch.

Grey smiled half-heartedly, "It's not that. I mean this is like a dream come true, but…if it was just me I wouldn't worry so much…but I've brought other people into this place, and I'm responsible for them now."

"You think they are in danger?"

"I just dropped two young girls from Earth into a world where you are constantly fighting for your lives," said Grey, "None of us have any magic skills, any fighting skills…we won't last five minutes on our own out there, and who knows how many others have read the fic by now…there could be people out there right now, sucked into a strange world with no way out."

"It isn't your fault," said Basch.

Grey chuckled, "Usually it's you who's insisting something is your fault when it's really nobody's fault."

Basch smiled, "I have been told that before. You…you really write about us?"

Grey nodded, "I kinda feel bad about putting you guys in danger, but I thought it was just a story you know?"

Basch nodded, "So you can make us to whatever you want can't you? Hey…why don't you write that you three can fight, do magic…anything you need? I mean…if this_ is_ your story…can't you just write in what you want to happen?"

Grey thought a moment, "It's worth a shot."

He pulled out his wallet and a pen from his pocket, "I think I've got a scrap of paper in here somewhere."

Sure enough, there was the list Joe had sent him to the store with the day before. He tossed the wallet onto the Strahl's control panel and quickly began to write.

_Nicky and Luci both awoke at the same time and made their way to the cockpit of the Strahl where Grey and Basch were trying to figure out how this whole "magic fanfic" thing worked. _

Grey sat back and waited; it was better to start with something simple and see if it worked.

"This you and your brother?" asked Basch, who had picked up Grey's wallet and was now looking at a picture he and Joe had gotten taken nearly a year before.

"Uh…no," said Grey, suddenly sheepish, "He's uh…well."

Basch cut him off with a wave of his hand, "I understand."

Just then Luci and Nicky strode into the cockpit, both sleepy looking and rubbing their eyes, and Grey was very grateful for the interruption.

"It worked," he said, shocked, "I can't believe it really worked."

"What are you talking about?" grumbled Luci.

Grey smiled, and grabbed his scrap of paper; he had a lot of work to do, grabbing his pen…he began to write…

_Luci's power lay in extreme knowledge of spells. She was one hell of a fighter, but when you needed a healer at your back, they didn't come any more powerful than Luci. She could cast any spell out there, white magic…black magic…anything, if it was magic, she could do it, and her power never ran dry._

_Nicky's weapon of choice was a bow. She never missed her target, no matter how far away it might be. She could also cast spells, but she preferred the feel of an arrow leaving her bow. None could match her skill, no matter how skilled and powerful they were._

_Grey was lethal with a blade. He could send a knife hurtling into a starfruit hanging from a tree from a hundred yards, and to cross him in battle was something few lived to tell about. He could also cast magic spells, but he preferred to be in the thick of the action with a blade in his hand._

_They each had their specialties, but together they were unstoppable._

"Alright," said Grey, handing the paper to Basch, "Let's test a little theory Basch came up with. Luci, cast a spell."

Luci stared at him blankly, "You know I can't cast magic, Grey."

"Try. I think you'll find that you can."

She sighed, annoyed, and held out her palm. Her eyes flew open wide as she began to mutter words in a language she'd never heard before. Her palm began to glow, and a soft light erupted from her hand. She stopped chanting as the light hit Nicky, and she began to float a few feet off the ground, "I'm floating! You cast a float spell!"

Luci stood, open mouthed, "I…I did!"

Grey smiled, "You can cast any spell out there. I wrote you special power with spells."

She flung herself into his arms, "Oh my God! This is awesome!"

He returned her embrace and smiled, "Nicky, as of now none can rival you with a bow."

Nicky would have hugged him too, but she wasn't used to floating, and couldn't quite get the hang of it yet.

"It looks like we're set then," she said, smiling.

"At least we aren't useless now," said Grey, "And we know a little bit more of how this works. It might come in handy later."

"You think we're really gonna need these skills?" asked Luci, shaking her hair out of her eyes.

Grey's smile faded, "I don't know if I can change the story…and if I can't…we will need every skill we can get."

"But can't you just finish it the way you want?" asked Nicky, "I mean the last chapter you posted is when we came here. So can't you just finish it now?"

Grey sighed.

"Uh oh," said Luci, "I have a feeling you aren't about to give us good news."

Grey shook his head, "I…I sort of already had a couple future chapters written and saved on my laptop. The…the ending…was one of them."

"Please tell me this was more of a romance story than an epic…dangerous…adventure," said Nicky.

Grey shook his head, "I'm afraid not."

_To Be Continued…_

**Hope you enjoyed! Please review! **


	5. Chapter 5

**So glad to be back after so long! Sorry to all of you who follow my stories, I have been in the hospital with a collapsed lung and have not been able to update. Thanks for the messages and well wishes, especially from my beloved Luci and Nicky, who have been such awesome sports through this whole fic. I am going to include my little injury in this chapter since it is what I have been dealing with for the past few weeks. Love to you all my freaky little darlings. Please review, and as always if you'd like to be included in this fic just let me know. Enjoy.**

**The Wakeup Call**

**Chapter 5**

Nicky and Luci stared at him blankly.

"Are we going to die?" asked Nicky.

Grey shrugged, "I don't know. Don't worry about it now. You two should go back to bed…we'll figure this all out tomorrow."

The two girls hesitated, but finally turned and left, leaving Grey and Basch alone again. Basch didn't say anything for a few moments, he just simply sat there, waiting for Grey to say what was bothering him so, but Grey kept silent.

"One of us is going to die…aren't we?" he asked finally, causing Grey to snap his eyes up to meet those of the concerned captain.

Grey nodded slowly, "I don't know if I can stop it."

"Who?"

Grey looked down at the floor, "Balthier."

Basch cursed under his breath, he had been hoping to hear his own name. He didn't want to witness the death of one of his friends, "How? When?"

Grey sighed and stood up, "He…he takes a hit trying to save Vaan. He's…impaled…by…by a Sleepnir."

Basch didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry," said Grey, "Shit like that happens all the time in these stories."

Basch still didn't say anything, so Grey headed back to the small room they shared. He wasn't sure how long he lay there…waiting for Basch to return, but the captain never came back that night.

He supposed he'd thought that we he opened his eyes the next morning that he would be back at home in his own bed, safe and sound in Joe's arms instead of aboard a fantasy airship with fictional characters. He was wrong.

Breakfast was awkward. Grey, Luci, and Nicky tried not to stare, but it was almost impossible not to. Of course, they were being stared at too, especially Grey's tattoos, which seemed to be of infinite interest to Vaan. One would have thought that the group would have a lot to talk about, being from different worlds, but the kitchen stayed silent throughout most of the meal. It wasn't until he finished his eggs that Balthier finally broke the silence.

"So what are your plans?" he asked as he folded his arms across his chest and sat back in his chair.

"Plans?" asked Luci, "Plans for what?"

"For getting home."

"We aren't going home," interrupted Grey, "Not yet anyway."

There was a squeal of delight from Nicky, but Balthier looked at him skeptically, "Why? I thought you wanted out of here."

Grey glanced at Basch, who was staring at him sternly, and then back to Balthier, "I…well…I have to make sure this story doesn't turn out like it's supposed to."

"I don't follow you," said Balthier.

"I know what happens…and it isn't good," said Grey, refusing to meet the pirate's eyes, "I have to stop it."

"We can take care of ourselves," said Balthier, "We always have before."

"You aren't in control of this," interrupted Nicky, "The story is already written. Grey is the only person who can change it."

"_Can_ you change it?" asked Luci, looking over at Grey, "I mean, we know you can make stuff happen by writing it…but…can you change what's been written?"

Grey shrugged, "I have no idea…but, I mean I have to try. I mean…if I warn him to stay on the ship he won't die right? He won't be there when it's supposed to happen."

"Whoa there," said Balthier abruptly, throwing up a ringed hand to stop Grey from speaking, "Someone's going to die? You killed one of us off?"

Grey swallowed hard, "I didn't know you were real."

"Who?" demanded the pirate.

Grey sighed, "You…while trying to save Vaan. You…well…you don't want to know"

Balthier stood up and pushed his chair back, "I don't believe any of this anyway. The leading man never dies…everyone knows this."

He left the room, and Grey thought he looked a little shaken. He didn't know what to say, so he got up and left the table silently.

"He didn't know," said Nicky, looking at the others, "I mean…none of us ever imagined…"

Ashe cut her off, "We know. I don't think anyone blames Grey in this matter."

"Do you think he can stop it?" asked Fran, who was obviously worried about her partner.

Luci shrugged, "Surely if Balthier and Vaan stay on the ship nothing can happen."

"Why would Balthier give his life for mine?" asked Vaan quietly, more to himself than anyone.

"Don't start blaming yourself too," warned Basch, "We have enough problems."

Vaan kept silent.

"Do you think people are looking for you guys," asked Penelo, "I mean…back in your world."

Luci shrugged, "Most likely. I mean I know my family is and Joe is probably looking for Grey by this point."

"My family is probably worried sick," said Nicky sullenly, "They probably think I was kidnapped."

"It isn't far from the truth," muttered Luci.

"I didn't mean to upset you," apologized Penelo, "I was just curious."

Luci shook her head, "It's just a strange situation. I don't think any of us know how to deal with it. And Grey is taking it really hard."

"He's afraid there are others here," said Basch, "lost and unskilled. Maybe even dead."

No one said anything.

Grey was tempted to try and talk to Balthier, but he couldn't decide if it was the best idea or not. He needed a cigarette, and figuring the pirate would not be too happy if he smoked inside the ship he made his way outside. To his surprise, Balthier was sitting near the Strahl, fiddling with a blade of grass.

"I'm sorry," offered Grey as he lit his cigarette.

Balthier shrugged, "I don't take it personal. Besides, I still don't believe it."

Grey shrugged and breathed in deeply, but there was a sharp pain in his chest. The cigarette fell from his fingers as he tried desperately to breathe, but the air was hard to get and the pressure was building. He felt like he was drowning.

Balthier caught him just before he hit the ground, "Don't move…I'll get help…just…don't move."

Grey tried to stay conscious as the pirate ran off to get the others, but he just didn't have enough air.

_To Be Continued…_

**I hope you enjoyed and please review, as I intend to update quicker now that I am home and lost my job from having to take so much time off;)** **Love to you all my darlings.**


	6. Chapter 6

**So sorry it has taken me so long to update, but I'm glad I've finally found the time. Thanx to all of you who have stuck with me through this fic, especially my darling Luci and Nicky, who are both so very awesome. Please review, and enjoy.**

**The Wakeup Call**

**Chapter 6**

Grey could barely make out the outline of Basch's face as the knight carried him back aboard the Strahl, and his chest felt so tight that he could barely keep his eyes open at all.

"What's happening to him?" asked Penelo, who had ducked behind Vaan at witnessing the events of the past few moments, "Is…is he dead?"

"He's breathing," muttered Basch, "But barely."

Luci and Nicky crowded near the side of their fallen friend as Basch laid him down in the main room of the Strahl, "Surely there is a spell we can cast to make him better," said Luci, looking up at the others.

"I have not seen this type of injury before," said Fran, leaning over Grey.

Luci closed her eyes and focused. Grey had said that she could perform any spell in existence, so if there was one that could help him, deep down inside she knew it. She wasn't sure where the spell came from, but before she knew it she was chanting in a strange language.

"What is she doing?" whispered Vaan, poking Balthier on the arm.

"Shhh…" demanded the pirate in return, his chocolate eyes glued to the scene before him.

Luci continued to chant, and Grey's breathing slowly evened out, but his eyes didn't open.

"I…I don't think it worked," Luci stammered, her panicked eyes glancing from Grey's unopened eyes to Nicky's saddened face, "What do we do now?"

"Nothing to do but wait," said Fran, looking over the young man warily, "Perhaps he just needs to rest."

"I think he needs more than rest," muttered Nicky, "He may need serious help…we…we have to get him home."

"But how?" asked Luci, "Grey is the only one who can write us out of this."

"He…he doesn't look too good," muttered Vaan, poking the young man's tattooed arm.

Vaan was right, Grey's skin was cold and clammy, and although he was no longer struggling to breathe his shallow breaths sounded ragged and painful.

"Come on Grey, wake up," pleaded Nicky, and for a second his eyes fluttered open, and it looked like he was trying to speak.

"What are you trying to say?" asked Balthier, who was still staring at Grey as if he were sprouting wings.

His mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.

"We should let him rest," said Basch, "I'll carry him back to my room."

"Someone should stay with him," said Fran, "Perhaps one of his friends."

"I'll stay with him," said Luci, "Nicky you can take the second watch."

This seemed to satisfy everyone, and Basch carried the unconscious Hume back to his room aboard the Strahl.

* * *

><p>They took off shortly after, and neither Luci nor Nicky bothered to ask where they were headed. A somber mood had fallen over the ship, and both girls wondered if they would ever see Earth again.<p>

"He'll be alright," Penelo offered softly as Nicky plopped herself down in their shared room aboard the Strahl, "He just needs rest."

Nicky nodded, but didn't say anything for a moment, "Have you ever heard of anything like this before? I mean, people falling into another world?"

Penelo frowned, "I'm sure you're not the first. I bet it happens all the time and people just don't know about it."

She attempted a halfhearted smile, but it did nothing to lift Nicky's spirits.

* * *

><p>"You still don't believe them do you?" Basch asked Balthier as he entered the cockpit.<p>

"If you are referring to our guests the answer is no," sneered the pirate.

"Do you not think it would be wise to head the boy's warning?"

Balthier chuckled, "You can't tell me you honestly believe those kids dropped in from another world."

Basch smiled, "You call them children, yet the boy is the same age as yourself."

Balthier shrugged, "They just seem young to me. Anyway, I'm sure Larsa will be able to make some sense of all this. If it's possible that they've come from another world, he'll know about it."

"We are headed to Archades then?"

Balthier shook his head, "Fran has sent word. He will meet us on the other side of the Sochen Cave Palace."

Basch nodded, "Just be careful Balthier. It wouldn't hurt to stay clear of any Sleipnirs as well."

Basch turned to leave, but not before he saw Balthier's jaw tense visibly.

* * *

><p>"You're awake," said a sleepy Luci, a small smile springing to her lips.<p>

Grey smiled weakly, "Where…are we?"

Luci frowned, "I'm not sure where we are headed. We took off about an hour ago."

"Don't let them leave the ship," whispered Grey.

Luci sighed, "You know they aren't going to listen. You need to write us out of here Grey. You need a doctor."

Grey shook his head, "I'm fine. We can't leave yet."

"You're stubborn."

"So I've been told," he whispered, clumsily grabbing for his cigarettes.

"Whoa there!" said Luci, grabbing the crinkled pack from his hands, "You've got to be kidding! You can barely breathe and you want a cigarette!"

Grey frowned, "You're no fun."

Luci smiled, "Too bad."

They looked up as Fran entered the room.

"You look a tad better," the viera commented offhandly, "we will be reaching the palace by tomorrow night, and you might need to get some sleep."

Grey's eyes widened, "Please tell me you don't mean the Sochen Cave Palace."

Fran eyed him coolly, "Yes."

Grey bolted upright, grabbing his chest and heaving as he did, "No! Tell Balthier to turn the ship around! NOW!"

Neither Fran nor Luci could stop him as he struggled to his feet and ran towards the cockpit.

_To Be Continued…_

**Hope you enjoyed, and I do promise to update faster next time. Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Welcome back my freaky little darlings. I hope you are all having an awesome weekend, and are out enjoying the nice spring weather. Please enjoy and review!**

**The Wakeup Call**

**Chapter 7**

"This is a bad idea," muttered Grey as he poked the fire with a stick.

"I do wish you'd stop grumbling," said Balthier, handing him a bottle of Madhu, "Here, this will brighten your mood."

Grey glanced warily at the bottle for a moment before taking a large gulp, "Jesus!" he coughed, "This shit's stronger than I imagined!"

Balthier chuckled, but said nothing.

Grey handed the bottle to Nicky, who also hesitated before taking a drink, "Is it safe to camp here?" she asked as she forced the burning liquor down her throat.

"It's as safe a place as any," answered Vaan, taking a sip from the bottle casually as Nicky passed it to him.

The blonde passed the bottle to Luci, who attempted to wave it off, but the thief would have none of that.

"What happens here Grey?" she asked, finally giving in and taking a sip.

"Please stop doing that," grumbled Balthier, "You don't know the future."

Grey gave Luci a troubled look, but let the conversation lapse into silence.

"So," said Balthier, "You three seem to know an awful lot about us, yet we know nothing about you. Let's remedy that shall we?"

Grey, Luci, and Nicky looked at each other uneasily.

"What do you want to know?" asked Luci, "I don't think there's really much to tell."

Balthier shrugged, "Let's play a little drinking game."

"Uh oh," muttered Luci, "This can't go well."

Balthier went on to explain the rules, which didn't make very much sense at all, and it seemed to Grey that the whole point of the game was just to make people tell uncomfortable facts about themselves while getting hopelessly wasted. But whether the game made sense or not Grey found himself more than a little tipsy, facing the question (which had been asked by a giggling Ashe, who was more than a little drunk) of the name of the first girl he'd ever kissed.

"Well?" giggled Ashe, "Come on you _have _to answer! It's one of the rules."

Grey sighed, "This game has a lot of rules that doesn't make any sense."

Ashe looked at him blankly.

"Fine," he muttered, "Michael. My first kiss's name was Michael."

Ashe's giggles were joined by Penelo's, who could barely sit up by herself at this point.

"The question," interrupted Balthier, "Was first _girl_ you ever kissed. Not first kiss period."

Grey laughed as he took another swig of Madhu, "I've never kissed a girl."

He passed the bottle to Nicky, who was swaying slightly to music the rest of them couldn't hear, "Are you serious?" she asked, trying not to giggle.

Grey himself was unable to not giggle, "I'm serious. Why is that so hard to believe? I mean, have you ever kissed a girl?"

"No."

"See, I'm not the only one," laughed Grey.

"Oh that's so not fair," said Luci, a smile on her face.

"Sad is more what it is," laughed Balthier.

Grey shrugged, "Sad or not it's your turn to answer a question."

"Fran."

"Huh?" asked Basch, who had begun to doze off at some point, "I missed the question."

Balthier cleared his throat, "Fran was the first girl I ever kissed."

Basch nodded as if this were no real surprise to him and closed his eyes again.

Balthier handed the bottle to Luci, "I do believe it's your turn."

Luci took a swig of the Madhu and shook her head, "Nope. Not answering this one."

"Oh come on," pressed Balthier, "It's not like we'll know the person…unless…oh I see…well well well…here we have a young lady whose never been kissed," he turned and looked pointedly at Grey, "and a boy whose never kissed a girl."

Grey and Luci shared an uneasy glance.

"I'm afraid you two are just going to have to kiss," announced the pirate with a grin.

Nicky burst out in a fit of laughter, "I second that motion!"

"You guys are so immature," said Grey.

"Just kiss her," muttered a sleepy Basch, "He won't let up until you do."

Grey sighed and turned towards Luci, "This is insane."

"True," she giggled.

He sighed and leaned in, capturing her lips with his own as a few of the more drunk members of their party whistled and giggled.

He pulled away after a few seconds, "You taste like strawberries."

Luci's cheeks stained a bright red, she was about to say something when an ear shattering screech echoed throughout the camp.

"It's here!" yelled Grey, "I fucking told you we shouldn't come here!"

They all stumbled to their feet drunkenly, grabbing wildly for their weapons.

"What's here?" asked Ashe, her voice full of panic.

"We can't win this," said Grey, "Run!"

The others stared at him dumbly, "I said run Goddamnit!"

As a huge shadow fell over them, the others finally began to run.

_To Be Continued…_

**Sorry this one was so short. I do hope you enjoyed, and don't take offense to my kissing you Luci lol I hope it made you laugh. Please stay tuned guys and review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ok guys I know you have been waiting a while for this one, and I really am sorry but recently there was an unfortunate accident in my life that involved the death of someone close to me and I haven't been much in a writing kind of place. We have four new people to add to this little fic now, which is great! I hope I have left no one out, please let me know if I have. So thanks to my girls Luci and Nikki who have been here since the beginning and welcome Marissa, Kayla, Jade, and Karena to our little fic. Hope you enjoy and please review!**

**So far our story includes:**

**Luci-Screen name: Masaki-Hanabusa**

**Female- Age 18**

**Nikki-Screen name: NinjaNicky**

**Female-Age 21**

**Grey (aka me) - Screen name: BalthierFan6828**

**Male-Age 23**

**Marissa- Screen name: Welnakia**

**Female- Age?**

**Kayla- Screen name: Alexandria Volturi**

**Female- Age 16**

**Jade- Screen name: RussianEngland**

**Female- Age 15**

**Karena- Screen name: GoldenNekoLover14**

**Female- Age 14**

**The Wakeup Call**

**Chapter 8**

"Well this is just fucking dandy," Balthier snarled, wiping a big of dirt from his cuffs and glaring at Grey, "Well Mr. big shot Earth dweller, please tell me you have a plan for getting us out of here! I don't intend to spend another hour in this damn cave hiding from some 'unstoppable' beast you conjured up."

Grey sighed, "I said I was sorry."

Balthier cursed again and turned around, his arms folded over his chest.

"Lay off Balthier," Luci grunted, "You should be grateful that we write about you at all, I mean you wouldn't even exist if not for people like us!"

Balthier said nothing and the cave fell silent, and only the wind outside could be heard. They had been hiding inside for hours, hoping that whatever strange beast that had haunted the chapters of Grey's story would move on without noticing them. Tempers had flared, and everyone was cold and grumpy, and now the effect of the potent Madhu they had drunk was wearing off, leaving headaches and nausea in its place.

"We haven't heard anything in a while," whispered a sleepy and pale Nicky, "Maybe it's gone."

"Better safe than sorry, we don't know how strong this beast is," said Basch, leaning back against the cold cave wall, "I don't like the idea of being caught unprepared."

"How much longer are we gonna wait?" asked Vaan, wiping his nose on his gauntlet, "I'm freezing."

Basch gave the boy a sympathetic look, "Just a little while longer Vaan. I'm sure…"

"This is all your fault!" Balthier snarled suddenly turning to face the three Earth dwellers and pointing a ringed finger in their faces, "If we had any sense we'd just leave the three of you here! Let you get killed by your own damn overactive imaginations!"

"If you want to leave that damn bad Balthier just go!" screamed Grey, "Sorry that all this happened but it isn't our faults! Go ahead and go! All of you!" He pointed a finger at Nicky and Luci, "It's my fault they're here and its my responsibility to get them home, and come hell or high water I'm gonna do that! With or without your help."

Balthier didn't say anything, but looked a little remorseful.

"Turning on each other isn't going to get us anywhere," Penelo piped up from the corner she was huddled in, "We need to get to Larsa, if anyone knows how to get you guys home it will be Larsa and if he doesn't know then he has the pull to find someone who does know about this kind of stuff. I don't like the idea of being a fictional character anymore than you do Balthier, but these guys have people back home missing them…people they miss. And if we are really made up it isn't their fault…if anything they gave us life."

Balthier sighed in irritation, but his expression softened, "I suppose you're right. If what you say is true," he huffed, leveling his eyes at Grey, "then we need you as much as you need us."

No one said anything for a while.

Suddenly, almost a half an hour later Fran's ears pricked up and she rose hastily to her feet, "I hear a strange creature…and…voices."

Balthier and Basch wasted no time springing for their weapons while the others looked nervously around, their breath visible in the cold air around them.

"It's coming from deeper inside the cave," Fran whispered, "Several voices…and something else…"

The nine of them crept slowly forward, peering closely into the depths of the cave.

"Give us some light," Basch commanded, and Luci's palm was almost instantly glowing with the workings of a fira spell.

Light slowly crept forward from her palm and lit the room.

"Oh fucking hell," muttered Grey.

"More friends of yours?" asked Balthier, sounding almost amused.

Four young girls sat clustered together against the back wall of the cave, looking scared, cold, and confused.

"Well?" asked Vaan, "Are they…from where you are?"

Grey sighed and shook his head. It was obvious from the mixture of blue jeans, shirts with album covers on the front, and the small pile of useless cell phones in the corner that these too were victims of his story.

"What the…!" Basch exclaimed as he was suddenly nearly bounded over by what appeared to be an overly excited sheep dog.

"For fuck's sake! Now I'm dragging in people's pets to this thing!?" Grey cursed.

"His name is Whiskey," said one of the girls, rising slowly as the dog galloped back to her outstretched hand, "I'm Jade. This is Marissa, Kayla, and Karena. Do you know where we are? We…we can't remember anything."

Grey sighed, "I'm sorry. I'm afraid that's my fault."

_To Be Continued…_

**Ok guys I know that wasn't too good but I'm out of my zone with writing since I haven't been doing so much of it lately. Let me know if I got your character wrong or anything. And if you want to be included, there is still time just let me know. Hope you enjoyed and please review!**


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